OwntheNight

wingnut, Be careful what you wish for! Walk into a room full of 6-7 yr olds and ask them to run the meeting, they all raise they're hand and say they'll do it. Hopefully they've taken you as one of their own and didn't chew you up and spit you out! So was it everything you expected? Did you and your son enjoy it? No turning back now, you're in it for the next 5 years!! Good Luck this year!

Interesting! I took my course last year and our course number was SR-999/571-90. I figured out that the 571 was our council number and 90 was the course number. I was always perplexed by the 999. After looking at other courses websites, the 999 is the code for Philmont. Which is where I took WB. However, at my beading last week, I looked at my official certificate and it showed the course number as SR999-6. Oh well, it will always be "90" for me. At least yours will be easy to remember

Hey I just hope they're CLEAN socks ! Good Grief, The socks that Scout son brought home from Summer camp could stand on their own and walk out the door by themselves if they tried I was worried the black helicopters and Sector 7 were going to break down my door and arrest me for having WMD's.

AS, Haven't seen a created chart yet, but this is the link to the weekly program on the scouting.org site. It has the achievements listed by weekly meeting. Our pack uses Scouttrack so I just enter the achievements done after our den meetings. http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Leaders/DenLeaderResources/DenandPackMeetingResourceGuide.aspx

Yes, those 5 words make a HUGE difference! If you expect your leaders to do all those requirements, they have another award for that, It's a bright red cape with "S" on the back !!

Wingnut, Welcome to the BLUE team! "Strange feeling sitting in on a meeting (Pack Committee) and knowing for sure that I don't know anything!" What you lack in experience, you make up for in resourcefulness! At least you know where to look for the answers. One of the hardest jobs in Scouting, IMO, is the Tiger Cub DL, trying to keep 8-10 6-7 yr olds occupied, entertained and somewhat in control for an hour per week. Yet we expect a person new to scouting to be able to absorb the details of the program. YPT,G2SS, plus the Cub Scout program itself, not to mention the Adult partners who are looking to you for guidance and leadership. Have you ever tried to herd cats? Same thing! Work out a plan with your ADL for the 1st few months, to get a feel for how you two work together. Maybe your strength is program and hers is arts and crafts. Who knows, your strength could be arts and crafts and she is the "nuts and bolts" one.No pun intended, couldn't help myself Remember, shared leadership! Remember KISMIF!! Enjoy this time with your son, they only get to be a Tiger Cub once! Alamance is right, you will have a very good New Scout patrol in a few years, they are lucky to have you. Good Luck and Have Fun

'Fish, It is 1 of 10 performance measures, and only 5 are required to earn the award. The individual can choose from the list. As far as the Boys Life requirement, some packs already incorporate that into pack fees and thus fulfill a requirement for the Quality Unit award. (2 birds,1 stone). What about the other requirement for Help conduct 2 annual FOS campaigns? Now you're asking the parents to donate money to the district/council for something they don't see the immediate benefit for. At least with BL, the boys see something tangible every month in the mail, all for about 1$ a month. Me personally, I enjoy going through BL every month and my boys like to read the stories in it. Pretty good ROI. If you have active DL's and committee members, this is a pretty attainable award. It looks like it was designed for the Assistant DL or committee member who actually help out. CUB SCOUTER KNOT AWARD Tenure Complete two years as a registered adult leader in a Cub Scout pack* Training Do all of the following: * Complete Cub Scout Leader Fast Start training. * Complete Youth Protection Training. * Complete New Leader Essentials Training. * Complete Job Specific Training for your position. * During each year of tenure for this award, participate in a Cub Scout Leader Pow Wow or University of Scouting, or attend at least four roundtables. Performance Do five of the following: * Assist in planning a pack program that results in advancement in rank by a minimum of 50 percent of pack members each year. * Serve as an adult leader related to a pack that earns the National Quality Unit Award. * Serve as leader for a blue and gold dinner, pinewood derby, space derby, raingutter regatta, field day, picnic or other Cub Scout activity. * Give leadership to a promotional effort that results in at least 60 percent of pack members subscribing to Boy's Life magazine. * Develop or update a Tiger Cub or Cub Scout den activity book listing places to go, things to do, costs, distances, etc., locally for five Tiger Cub areas, or for at least 12 Cub Scout themes. * Give leadership to planning and conducting a pack service project. * Organize participation of a pack in the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program. * Help conduct two annual pack Friends of Scouting campaigns. * Serve as a leader for members of your pack attending a Cub Scout day camp or resident camp. * Serve one year as pack trainer, during which time 75 percent of registered pack and den leaders complete basic training for their positions. *Dates of service used to earn one key or award cannot be used to earn another key or award.

A wonder bar and welding gloves. I've also seen somebody screw an eye hook into the end of their rubber mallet.

We tried to come up with a different cheer every day, just to throw people off. Being first does have it's advantages and disadvantages as well. BEAVERS,WE DO GIVE A DAM! I feel the need, the need for trees! Beaver Fever, Beaver Fever, Beaver Fever! BEAVERS, We're not really Pirates! (Guess which game this was after ) Ward? Can you speak to the Beaver? Always a Beaver! Ron SR999 571-90

I saw that same story the other night and started thinking not only about the troop, but even our family trips to Oklahoma. We usually have 2 or 3 preset stops along the way, and we have other places we go out of our way to go to just because of their exclusiveness. It definitely becomes tradition and everyone looks forward to those stops! It's still fun to watch 50-60 boy scouts walk into a Phillips 66 just inside the Oklahoma border, convenience store/truck stop on one side casino on the other side. Definitely have to do multiple head checks before leaving!

Wood Badge is great if one ignores those pesky Beavers. You Cannot ignore the BEAVER, you must fear the BEAVER!!! BWAHAHA!! Just Remember: If it weren't for beavers, all the other critters would just wander around aimlessly! Beardad and oldisnew: glad to hear you are getting the most out of your time at WB! Have a great second weekend!

Yep! It's good to be back in the thick of it! We just had our 2nd den meeting last night. We picked up 3 wolves in our den. Got all the boys hopped on hoobie-goobie about going to Cuboree in a few weeks, got the new boys excited about being Cub Scouts. It was amazing seeing the transformation from a year ago when the boys were just wide-eyed tigers, to now. The boys picked right up where they left off in June and showed me the stuff we worked on at every den meeting last year has stuck. They helped the new boys with their Bobcat requirements, proper flag procedures. Definitely a thing of beauty!! Gotta kick the rust off the wild behavior though, but that will come in time. It was really great to see my ADL step up and take over the entire den meeting. I could actually sit down and talk to some of the parents and answer questions in person, instead of email It's gonna be a great year!

E92: CAPTAIN Jack as a Sea Scout?!?!? LOL!!! >) Absolute Genius!!! Real Men aren't afraid to wear mascara, as long as you have dreds and a 4" beard to boot! And maybe a puffy shirt, as well!

Overall, I think the worst part will e listening to a bunch of adult leaders running around and saying : "Arrgh, me laddies. What advancement have ye in mind today"? Better that than all the Jack Sparrow clones running around and saying: "Where's the rum?" Nothing wrong with that either, I've pulled "Captain Jack" out of ye old wardrobe ev'ry now and then for the boys! "I think weve all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically." "Me? Im dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. Its the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when theyre going to do something incredibly stupid." "I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by." "When you marooned me on that god forsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate: Im Captain Jack Sparrow."

As we come up on the anniversary of 9/11, where were you that day and is your unit doing anything special for the anniversary? I was at our shop just outside of the DFW airport for our normal Tuesday functions (replenishing parts on the truck, turning paperwork in, etc..) We always had a TV on while we waited to get our calls for the day. we should have been gone by 7:30 am, but because of employee reviews that day, we didn't leave until later. I was in my boss's office chatting with him when another Tech came in an said a plane had crashed into the WTC. I thought it was a single engine Cessna or whatever. We went to the conference room with the TV in it and I saw the devastation for the first time. We then saw another plane in the corner of the TV heading toward the other tower and immediately saw the explosion . At that point I knew in my heart this was not an accident, but rather an attack on the American people. We all were glued to the TV for what seemed like eternity trying to make sense of all the reports that were coming in from around the country between the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. I became pretty scared by then, we were just miles from a centrally located Airport that acts as a major hub to the rest of the country and a major metropolitan area. Was Dallas on the list of targets? They finally announced that all flights were being ordered to the ground. I remember walking out on our dock and seeing planes lined up as far North as possible in the air waiting to land.Still to this day, one of the most eerie feelings and sights I have ever had. I spent the rest of the day running from the house to service calls watching the news as much as possible. It wasn't until my wife picked our son up from school, that I could process everything that happened. I started to cry when I saw them walk in the door. A footnote: I now work for a defense contractor that supplies our Warfighters the tools they need to get the job done. I am one of the last people in our plant that touches the equipment before it is sent to the branch of military that will use it. It is my honor and privilege to provide them with a product that will and has saved a soldier's life. Our pack will be at a memorial service at the Main Fire Station in our city for a flag and ring out memorial. While our Cub's aren't old enough to remember what happened that day, Us parents and leaders are. I will remember that day forever and I will never forget. God Bless America and the men and women who protect her!

tdk, Both my CM and CC are HUGE 'caching addicts. (Yes I said addicts! I swear I'm going to have to host an intervention for them and their habit) We have incorporated geocaching at the pack level very successfully. We took groups at our Spring campout on a course around the State park and we had a summertime pack activity around one of the local parks lake. The boys absolutely had a blast and some have expressed an interest in doing this outside of scouting. A couple of suggestions: either go out before the activity and set your own caches, that way you can make your own course, or go to geocaching.com and do a search in your area for preset ones. Look for the lower rated caches as those are easier to find for some of the younger boys If you set your own caches, mark them with your pack number on them. Most cachers will put the cache back after it's found, however there are a small group that take the cache with them (bad etiqutte) Keep your group small, 4-5 boys per unit, let each boy work the unit as they are getting real time info on direction of travel and distance towards the next cache. Vehicle type gps units do not work very well, due to having to switch screens to find direction and the actual waypoint where your at.( you also don't want an 6-8 yr old dropping a $200 Garmin or Tom-Tom :0 ) The hand held units are easier to work with. just a couple of buttons to mess with. Just saw this link on the BSA facebook page today http://ww2.scouting.org/100years/100years/Geocaching.aspx And finally: Cache In, Trash Out. If you find trash, take it with you Good Luck and Enjoy!

AMEN Twocubdad!!! I bought a Thermarest Trail-Lite (Large) for myself and a Trail-Lite(Regular)for Scoutson last year and absolutely LOVE it! When scoutson and I were in Cub Scouts, we took the portable air mattress with us on campouts (due to my pension for lower back pain) The first time we took the Thermarests' out with the Troop, I expected to wake up stiff and sore. Much to my surprise..Nothing, NADA, Zippo. No pain, and I slept great. I make sure that pad is the first thing I have ready to go before any campout. Scoutson has dragged his everywhere and it still works wonderfully.He'll even pull it out and use it in the living room on hardwood floors for sleepovers or movie night. While the up front cost is steep, think about it years down the road when your using the same one, and how much money you saved by not having to replace it every couple of years. You definately get what you pay for. "You can pay me now, or pay me later"

BD- It's amazing how Scouter magazine comes out with stories we need, when we need them! What age group is your den? Is he new to scouting? What kind of bullying is he doing, Is it more physical?Have you thought about assigning him some tasks (not punishment) during the den meeting that will keep him occupied that he can take ownership in, Attendance, dues, etc? I know that should fall to the denner position, but it sounds like you want to steer him away from his tendencies. Try and stay positive and encouraging at the same time, It sounds like this boy needs a positive role model in his life. Good Luck

moosetracker- Thank you! Our troop actually does require any adult who wants to become an ASM to commit to taking WoodBadge within 1 year of their appointment. It is nice to know we're all playing from the same book instead of a mixup of opinions and fables , and that we are all committed to giving the boys the best program available.

I used to be a Beaver A good ol'Beaver too But now I'm finished beavering I don't know what to do I'm growing old and feeble and I can GNAW no more So I'm going to work my ticket if I can!! Back to Gilwell, Happy Land! I'm going to work my ticket if I can!!!!!!!

I'm still waiting to schedule mine. Might have to give my TG and SPL a call to get the wheels back in motion. I haven't pushed too hard,yet! My TG just finished up another WB course last week and SPL was playing District pattycake at Jambo, so I'll cut them some slack I originally was going to schedule mine at our troop COH, but was told by our CC that we had already done 2 beadings at the last 2 COH's (His was one of those)and we didn't need to do anymore. I was a little upset about that until I heard that one of our freshly minted Eagle's wanted to have his ECOH with the Troop COH, No Problem there. I will gladly step aside for any young man who wants to celebrate his achievement of Eagle with the rest of the Troop. My decision became pretty easy, I'm going to try and have my beading at our first Pack Meeting. We'll have all the adults there, plus the new parents, hopefully my beading will recruit some parents to step up to the leadership plate!! Always a Beaver "If you don't have a beaver leading, the rest of the critters just wander around aimlessly"

The tenderfoot will use the 2nd Class requirements from the 12th Edition (New) Handbook. From: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/Youth/Awards.aspx Rank Requirement Changes for 2010 The centennial edition of the Boy Scout Handbook will soon be available, and with the new handbook come several rank requirement changes that will be in effect as of January 1, 2010. A Scout should complete the requirements he is working on, and when he advances to the next rank he should then begin using the new requirements. From: http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/advance/changes/advchanges10.asp A new 12th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook (34622) was issued in the summer of 2009. That book contains new requirements for each rank listed below, which did not officially take effect until January 1, 2010. Scouts working toward ranks in 2009 could use the new requirements, or could continue to use the old requirements, at their option. If a Scout started work toward a rank before January 1, 2010, using the requirements that were current before January 1, 2010, he may complete THAT RANK ONLY using the old requirements. Any progress toward a rank that is begun after January 1, 2010, must use the requirements as they are presented in the Boy Scout Handbook (34622) or in the 2010 Boy Scout Requirements book (34765). The fact that a Scout can work on the requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class simultaneously does NOT mean that he is "working toward all three ranks". He can NOT use the old requirements for all three. Similarly, if a Scout has multiple merit badges, he is NOT "working toward Star, Life, and Eagle". He may only use the old requirements for the NEXT rank he completes.

beardad- At least yours took 1 shower through the week, mine decided that a shower was not in the game plan, even with private shower facilities on the premises. As I watched the daily pictures from camp show up on our troop website, I realized scoutson was wearing the same clothes all week At least he had fun and wants to go next year! It sounds like your son had a great time at camp. I'm in the same boat with you, I stayed home and just let him go through his first camp on his own. I worried all week about him, but I knew our ASM's were top notch and I trusted their judgment.When they got back, all of them raved about scoutson and how he would just grab a book to sit down and read if there was some downtime. Of course they all did comment about mixing in a shower next year. Glad to hear all went well for your son.

No, While AoL requirements prepare the boy for joining Boy Scouts. The requirements for the Scout badge still have to be met. ( From the Boy Scout Handbook, 12th Edition) 1.Meet the Age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old. 2.Find a scout troop near your home. 3.Complete a boy scout application and health history signed by your parent or guardian. 4.Repeat the pledge of allegiance 5.Demonstrate the scout sign, salute, and handshake. 6. Demonstrate tying the square knot ( a joining knot) 7. Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or promise,Scout Law, motto, and slogan, and the Outdoor Code. 8. Describe the Scout Badge 9. Complete the pamphlet exercises (With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parents Guide) 10. Participate in a Scoutmaster conference. These can be done pretty quickly, and then the scout can begin to work on the requirements for Tenderfoot.

Her's Secy. Gates speech from the Jamboree http://www.defense.gov/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=1494